Rapid urbanization worldwide raises new concurrent social, economic, public health, environmental, and health systems challenges, including:

• Rising prevalence of NCDs (non-communicable diseases) and emerging infectious diseases.
• Need for improved access to affordable, quality health services.
• Increased greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, pollution, and poor health.
• Unsafe housing, transportation, and physical environments.
• Need for enhanced access to healthy foods, clean water, and sanitation.
• Vast inequities in opportunities that are compounded by poverty, race, ethnicity, gender, age, migration status, and place of inhabitation.